Saigeon Excited To Join Avalanche

They say good things come to those who wait.
After not being drafted in his first two years of eligibility, Brandon Saigeon was selected by the Colorado Avalanche with the 140th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft last Saturday in Dallas.
"It was a good feeling, I am really proud to be a part of this organization. I think it is kind of a young organization with lot of upside, so hopefully I can be a part of that," Saigeon said. "I talked to quite a few teams and I kind of had a feeling I was going to get picked somewhere. I didn't know how high, but when I got the news I was pretty excited."

He broke his arm midway through the 2016-17 season--his first year of draft eligibility--but battled back through his injury and has continued to progress.
"He is one of those guys that has just gotten better and better," Avalanche director of amateur scouting Alan Hepple said after the draft. "I interviewed him a couple weeks ago, and it was funny because we probably should have drafted him last year based on his skill level. This year he took off, it was a really good jump for him. He is still developing, but he had a great year and a great playoff."
The 6-foot-2, 194-pound forward helped the Hamilton Bulldogs win the Ontario Hockey League championship this past season, defeating Avs prospect Conor Timmins and the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in six games.
Saigeon tallied 25 points (18 goals, seven assists) in 21 playoff contests after registering 70 points (35 goals, 35 assists) in 65 regular-season outings.
"I think we were playing our best hockey at the best time and that's what you need to do, especially in playoffs," Saigeon said of defeating the regular-season champion Greyhounds. "We knew they were a dominant team, but we had a lot of character in our dressing room and we were confident the whole time. We didn't really get down at all, we always knew we had a good chance to win, so that's what we did."
With the OHL title, the Bulldogs participated in the Memorial Cup where Saigeon recorded four assists in four outings.
"Lots of leadership around me, coaches and players. A great group of guys that helped me a lot, but a lot of credit to my coaches," he said of what he attributes his production last season to. "They have been awesome for me, and they really gave me the opportunity and put me in positions to succeed and that helped me out a lot."

With the draft in the rearview mirror, Saigeon is already getting to work with the Avalanche. He is becoming more acquainted with the organization by participating in the Avalanche's development camp this week.
"Just make a good first impression, that's the main thing," he said of what his goal is during the camp. "They drafted me for a reason, they like my game. Just try to be myself and not change too much about myself or my game on the ice."
Where Saigeon will play next season is unknown, but it could be just up the road in Loveland with the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League.
"I want to play for the Eagles in the American League. That's is my goal right now," he said after being introduced to the media in Denver. "Just try and make a good first impression here. They said don't stress too much about development camp. Just go about every day, go about your business, try and meet some people and whatnot.
"But, when I go back and get in the gym and work on my game, definitely have this in mind. It will be a good benchmark for me on where I need to improve to get to that point."